[M] Once Cursed, Twice Damned {Lyra & Midori-Hime}}

[Lyra]

There wasn't much Matty could do but let out a long, heavy sigh and close his eyes in frustration. The box was indeed missing. He could no longer feel its overbearing presence but the urge to possess it was still present and it was growing stronger by the second. He finished drying his clothes in silence, though his heart thumped wildly, and put them back on. The scent of salt water, with which the clothes had been doused, tickled his nostrils. Inwardly, his mind was abuzz with thoughts about the box and its whereabouts. It couldn't have vanished on its own, someone must have taken it while they were busy fighting off the creature of legend. But who? They must have been followed, but Matty hadn't felt anything, lest the ominous shadow from the bus had crept after them.

Slowly but surely, the urge to track the box down was becoming more intense. There was anger and confusion written on his face, but also a tinge of sadness over the loss. He was unsure of what he was feeling exactly, but when he started to uncontrollably shiver, he realized that he was still under its spell. He shook his head and composed himself as much as he could.

"Shut up..." he spoke finally, through clenched teeth. "I took the bloody box, not you," he cursed his carelessness. "Sorry," the word tasted weird on his tongue. Although it was barely a whisper, he hoped Theo had heard it, for he truly was sorry. A pat on the back would have surely comforted the wolf, or at least given him a sense of kinship, but Matty wasn't the touchy-feely type.

"We can't leave it be," they needed revenue from this mission. Besides, the Board wouldn't be too happy either. But he had no idea what to do next. He knew no tracking spells, and if he did, he wouldn't know how to track it. His backpack was also gone, so that was proof enough the box hadn't disappeared into thin air. It was taken. And that was when it hit him. His backpack...

He strode over to Theo and stood in front of him, air tightening around his chest and his heart beating a frantic pace. The burning urge to find the box drove him on. He became flustered and his cheeks reddened, as if flames danced on his skin.

"Track my scent. He's got my backpack too. We can catch him, if he's from around here, then surely he won't head for the mountains. If he does, you can catch him. You're a wolf, stalk your prey," he spoke urgently, staring intensely into Theo's eyes.

[Midori-Hime]

Theo only continued to beat himself up over his stupidity as the silence stretched out, until Mathian suddenly spoke, startling him. His head snapped up, confused at first. Then his amber eyes softened as he stared at the warlock's back, having heard a word he'd never expected to come from Mathian's mouth. The warlock had actually apologized? He felt the sudden urge to make a snide comment, like asking if Hell had just frozen over, but thought against it. He didn't want to sour the mood any further, and then he might never hear Mathian utter that word again. Instead, Theo simple nodded his head as a 'thanks' before focusing on more important things. Like how they were going to find that box...

"Yeah... You're right. Doesn't matter how we got here, we're in this now." He said in agreement, standing up now. He wasn't exactly sure where to start but he figured they would come across some sort of hint, not realizing Matty was already a few steps ahead of him. He blinked curiously as Mathian approached him purposefully, wondering if he should be concerned about the warlock's erratic heart beat. He was about to ask what was wrong, when Mathain interrupted.

Theo hated admitting that the warlock was smart, but it did make him a good partner and so he really couldn't complain. Once again, the wolf wanted to snap back at his teasing, but the intensity in his eyes gave Theo a pause, sending a small quiver through him. Theo then inhaled deeply, before frowning and letting the breath out with a sigh. "Ugh, all I can smell is brine and weeds..." He grumbled and then with only a moment of hesitation, he stepped closer, leaning in to the warlock.

Theo let his eyes fall shut, trying to focus on Mathian's scent beyond the brackish water that was drowning everything else out. Even ruffling some of Mathian's damp hair in his fingers didn't help much. However, as Theo slowly drew back, his cheek quite close to the other male's, he suddenly caught the scent of fresh blood. Mathian's blood, from the wound on his cheek.

"Got it..." He said with a smirk as he drew back, his gold eyes glittering a little in the dim light. Theo was quick to throw on his boots and sling his own bag over his shoulder, before looking to his partner once again. "Come on, let's hunt down our thief." He said, starting down the stairs of the hostel and out the front door. Once outside, he got to work, walking a little to the left and then cirling around towards the right. "This way... It's still pretty fresh."

While the trail wasn't heading for the mountains, it moved further into town before suddenly darting off into the woods surrounding the lake. "Weird..." He muttered, quickly following the scent before it dawned on him to check to make sure Mathian was still close behind him. "Can you feel it at all? The box?" He asked curiously, wondering if they were getting closer. Maybe with Mathian's strange draw to the box, he might be able to sense it the closer they came to finding it.

[Lyra]

Matty wasn't the most trusting person around but he put all his faith in Theo's scent tracking skills. He stood unmoving and quiet as a mouse as he waited for Theo to catch a whiff of his scent. He was so focused on locating the box that he barely noticed how each time the wolf came closer, his heart fluttered, or he felt ticklish, or the intensity in his eyes mellowed. He also missed how captivating the golden color of his eyes was.

At the sound of triumph, he cracked up a white-toothed grin. He quickly scooped up what had been left of his things, donned his coat, and followed in Theo's steps. Keeping up with him was tough but he wasn't about to fall behind. He swerved carefully as much as he could, there were instances when he almost tripped over his own feet but eventually they came to a stop. The scent had led them into the woods. He took a short respite to catch his breath and then said,

"Good dog," a chuckle followed. He spun around on his heel to take in their surroundings. They were being swallowed by trees and bushes and troubled by rocky terrain. He closed his eyes and directed his thoughts to the box. The urge to find it had somehow enabled him to feel its presence, although it was faint. It was as if the box wanted to be found and it was up to Matty to safely deliver it.

"Up there," he pointed to an incline which opened up to a rock outcrop and a grass-covered path that beckoned them. Matty hurried ahead, the presence getting stronger with each unbalanced step he took. Past the outcrop was a rundown old windmill missing half a blade and the entire roof. A faint light could be seen flickering inside its walls. It was there, it must be. Matty wished to rush ahead and snatch it back, using any means necessary, his teeth seething for a kill. That was what frightened him and made him halt. He looked back at Theo, hesitation in his eyes. What if the thief was a mere human? How easy it would be to kill him. And how easy it would be to lash out at Theo again.

"Maybe you should go and scout ahead. I can feel a death hex on the tip of my tongue. I'm still chaste in that area, and I'd like to keep it that way for now," he played with the word jokingly. He'd hurt people before, but he'd never killed anyone, unless his previous partner had already drawn her last breath.

[Midori-Hime]

Theo simply rolled his eyes, waiting and watching for Mathian to check out the surrounding area. Finally he muttered, "Are your 'creepy box' senses tingling?", just before Mathian announced the way. Theo raised a brow, "Huh, not bad..." He added in a whisper, before chasing after Mathian.

The warlock was surprisingly fast and it was Theo's turn to follow after him frantically. Though he was definitely concerned by how anxious the warlock suddenly seemed to have the box back in his possession. Or maybe it was the other way around...

As the old windmill came into view, Theo came to the same conclusion Mathian did. "W-wait, Mathian... Don't go rushing in-" He started, but Mathian was already turning to him. The hesitant, almost fearful look in the warlocks eyes gave Theo a pause. He listened to him explain, and at the mention of a 'death hex', the wolf stiffened. For a long moment, Theo didn't quite know what to say. "Alright..." He murmured finally, placing a hand on the warlock's shoulder as he stepped past him. "Just stay here 'n watch my back..." He said before stalking over towards the windmill cautiously.

Theo listened carefully, hearing nothing just the breeze moving through the trees and the creaking and groaning of the old blades as they turned a little. But then he heard a faint shuffling from inside. With one more glance back towards his partner, Theo slowly slipped into the rundown mill. It was dark, except for the bit of moonlight that filtered in through the fallen roof. Though he could see foot prints through the fine layer of dust on the floor. They lead to an adjacent room, the door left open just enough to see a light flickering from inside.

Theo moved cautiously, crossing the room towards the door. It seemed to be nothing more than a mere human, but after everything they'd been through tonight, he wasn't going to allow himself to be caught off guard again. Theo leaned in, trying to peek in through the crack, though he still couldn't see much. However, he could hear what sounded like someone rambling frantically under their breath. Finally, he pressed the door open with a creak, ready for whatever might be waiting for him on the other side.

[Lyra]

Matty watched with riveted attention as Theo sidled towards the windmill. The wolf trod steadily but lightly in a predatory manner, stopping to listen for signs of life. Matty wondered how he looked in his beastly form. Was he cute? Or ferocious? He only hoped he'd be friendly enough to pet. Thinking about his wolf form made him also think about his human form and how, for a werewolf, he was rather handsome. Most werewolves sported the trucker look. Or preferred the lumberjack attire and a beard to match. But Theo was fanfiction handsome. It occurred to him then... why was he even thinking about his looks? The focus should be on the mission.

He shook his head and decided to sneak around back, just in case the thief tried to take to his heels. Matty wasn't as careful as Theo. A few twigs snapped, but he managed to pick his way through successfully after a few steps.

Inside the windmill was a boy barely out of his teens. He wore threadbare clothes, a moth-eaten beanie, and half-finger gloves. He had made a small fire in a hole in the floor and placed himself in front of it, leaning against the grindstone, the box in his lap. Various tools stood scattered around him. He was trying to pry the box open but the darn thing wouldn't budge. He seemed obsessed with uncovering its contents, so much so that he hadn't noticed his fingertips had leaked blood. His face was flushed with fervor and his body trembled. He repeated 'open, open, open' like a mantra, barely noticing an ambush coming his way.

A sudden creaky sound sent him in a frenzy. He cast a nervous, frantic glance at the door and saw Theo prowling towards him. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He gasped for breath, horror written on his face, and quickly grabbed a small axe that lay next to him, pointing it towards Theo and issuing threats in a high-pitched voice,

"Stay away! I will use this! You're trespassing!" meanwhile, he held onto the box like his life depended on it and in his mind it did. He was moving back slowly, growling even, as blood was oozing out slowly and graciously from his ears. There was madness in his eyes and his movements and it seemed it was the fault of the box. He was under its influence too, but he fell under it much too quickly.

[Midori-Hime]

Theo looked over the thief, surprised to see that he was pretty young. Though more importantly, his gaze shifted to the axe that the young man suddenly welded threateningly. Theo froze, raising his hands to so that he was unarmed, not that he needed to be, and didn't mean him any harm. At least, so long as he didn't intend to attack. "And you stole something from us..." He retorted, but quickly realized by the kid's manic behavior that it was probably no use to try to reason with him.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me the box and I'll leave. No harm, no foul. That thing... isn't safe. It'll only harm you." He said slowly, softly in hopes that maybe, just maybe, the young man would listen to his warning. Theo shifted his weight carefully, slowly and cautiously continuing his approach as the thief retreated. The scent of blood suddenly caught his attention and it made Theo pause, his eyes widening in surprise as the boy began to bleed from his ears. "-My god..." He breathed, horrified by the sight.

"Just... Please, drop the box." He said, a little more desperately, seeing that the thing was clearly harming the human. Not only mentally but now physically as well. Is this what would eventually become of Mathian if he continued to cling to this box? Suddenly he was overcome with dread, concerned for his partner once the box was returned to them. They would have to get rid of this thing as soon as possible, or it was likely the warlock was going to end up like this kid. If not worse.

"Listen to me! I don't want to hurt you. Which is exactly why you need to let go of that box!" He said more firmly now. The young man began to tremble visibly now. It almost seemed as if he was considering Theo's words... yet the box would not allow him. For a brief moment, the boy's eyes frantically moved down to the box in his arm and Theo took that opportunity to move in for him. However, before he could get close enough the boy reacted with a wild swing of the axe, crying out. Theo's eyes widened, jumping back while arching his stomach out of the way of the axe's path, just narrowly missing getting sliced across the middle.

He was only more agitated now, yelling as he began swinging the axe with reckless abandon. "Get away from me! Get AWAY! It's mine!" Although his movements were wild and unpredictable, Theo was able to find an opening. Swiftly, Theo dodged a swing and managed to catch the young man's arm with an iron tight grip. "I'm doing this for your own good, dammit!" He growled, the boy now fighting and flailing against his grip, kicking at the werewolf as hard as he could manage. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough to free himself. Even so, Theo was as careful as he could be, moving to pin the young man's front to the wall with a thud. Using his own upper body to hold the boy still, Theo's free hand moved for the box, trying to pry it from his grip.

[Lyra]

Matty was getting dangerously close. At first, he had the idea to circle around the windmill and make sure there were no back exists, but having seen that the only way in and out was the one Theo had opted for, Matty moved slowly towards the front. He heard some rustling sounds, and felt agitated and drawn to it. His mind was telling him to fall aback behind the trees and stay there, but his heart and his whole body wanted to reunite with the box. He stood outside, biting his lower lip in hesitation and cracking his knuckles.

Suddenly, the noise grew louder. Theo was pleading with the thief to let go of the box but the thief was unyielding, screaming in a shrill tone of voice to be left alone. Matty's face contorted into a frown. He had expected Theo to charge in and deliver a few blows, not play the good guy. He started for the door, but pulled back, rubbing his eyes and beating his chest. He tried to control his breathing, otherwise he'd go mad. He was desperate. He needed the box like a junkie needed a fix.

A loud thud startled him and he abandoned all restraint. He rushed for the door and halted at the sight of Theo pushing the thief, a young boy, against the wall, trying to pry the box from the boy's clutches. Matty saw the box and felt a surge of emotions. A mixture of happiness and anger but mostly relief. He wouldn't let either of them touch it, so, without even a second of consideration and a swish of the hand, he summoned the box to him. It complied instantly and, perhaps even by will of its own, yanked itself from the young boy's embrace and buried itself in Matty's arms. He cradled it like a child and flashed a devious smirk. His eyes became unnerving as they fell on the thief who stood frozen.

"Phasmatos Somnus," Matty uttered and the boy fell numb and weak. He hadn't killed him, but rendered him unconscious, perhaps to give his brain a reboot. His gaze fell on Theo, but it had lost its malicious intent. It was just cold and unfeeling. It took a while for them to mellow out and for Matty to return to his senses. Once he did, he tried to let go of the box, but he couldn't. It was futile. Instead, he smiled a sheepish smile and downcast his eyes, asserting, "I can't let go. We should hurry."

[Midori-Hime]

The boy continued to wrestle against him, flailing his free arm to try to keep the box from Theo's grasp. Though despite his desperate attempts to squirm away, he was no match for the werewolf's strength. However, before he could slip the box from his grasp, Theo heard foot falls behind him, quickly shooting a look over his shoulder only to find that it was just his partner. "Mathian, quick-" He called, but before he could say another word, the witch had summoned the box to him. A shudder went through Theo then, notcing how easily the box had come to Mathian. As if it belonged in his arms.

He heard Mathian utter a spell, and then a moment later, the boy suddenly collapsed, falling limp against him. Theo quickly caught the young man in his arms, though his mind had immediately recalled the 'Death Hex' Mathian had mentioned. "What did you do?!" He snarled then, his eyes narrow and cold as they glanced towards the witch. Though as he carefully lowered the boy to the ground, Theo could see he was still breathing, his eyes rolling around under his eyelids. He was still alive, and he could only hope the kid was going to recover alright from this whole incident.

Theo didn't doubt that there was bound to be some adverse effect from Mathian's spell, but for now he was satisfied that the warlock hadn't outright killed the thief. So Theo eased up a bit, moving over to Mathian. Seeing the sheepish look on the warlocks face, Theo only sighed. "Yeah, let's rid of this cursed thing already." After all that he'd seen tonight, it was imperative that they deliver this box and quick. Before Mathian too lost his damn mind and killed them both over it.

"Do you have any idea of where this castle in located?" He asked as they left the windmill, looking to the mountainside where the rumors said it might be. But he could see no break in the trees that might indicate a large building like that. He turned then, looking to the other side of the lake. Though as he looked over the shining surface of the water, he noticed something off about the mountain's reflection. "H-holy shit..." He gasped, blinking as he could swear he saw what looked like a castle nestled on the mountainside. However, as he glanced back to the mountain again, there seemed to be nothing there. "Do you see that!?" He asked Mathian, in disbelief. "Look! Look at the reflection in the lake!" He pointed. "There it is... But how do we get there? Do you think there's like... a barrier or something around it? And that's why we can't see it?" He asked, turning back to look at the mountain once more.

[Lyra]

Matty gave the thief a fleeting glance but did not concern himself with his well-being. It had taken every bit of his willpower to put him to sleep instead of killing him, and it seemed he would need much more to not lose his mind. Holding onto the box so tightly hurt a lot. Its edges seemed to pinch and bite at his skin yet he still cherished it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to part with it, but the box had other plans. They left the windmill and the thief who lay there unmoving and halted on the crest of the incline overlooking the shiny surface of the lake. They were at a loss as to their next move and could only wonder what now.

"I've no clue..." he said in a low tone of voice, casting a glance at the mountain that sprawled behind them. Not much could be seen, it was dark and the mountain side was cluttered with tall trees. He reckoned it would take at least a day of roaming around the woods to locate the castle when Theo pointed to a most peculiar thing. He had to double check, but there was no doubt. He, too, could see a castle-like structure reflected on the lake's shimmering surface, but no such thing could be seen in the mountains. Could it be that a barrier had been erected to shield the castle from prying eyes? Or something else entirely?

"It could be. It figures we'd be delivering this box to another witch..." he wasn't thrilled at the thought of facing off a spellcaster. Witches were the unpredictable kind. One never knew what to expect. Yet, something was telling him that heading for the mountains wasn't the right road to take. The box, being that something, urged him to focus on the lake. He glanced back and forth between the box and the calming water, thinking what it could be. A once barely noticeable breeze picked up speed and began rustling the tree tops nearby and ruffling through Matty's damp hair. Ripples surfaced on the lake and picked up speed as well, creating small waves. He started feeling a bit dizzy as the wind whipped his face. His eyes glazed over for a few memorable seconds and he saw what the box wanted him to see... a whirlpool and the box right in the middle of it.

"No fucking way..." he murmured, his words a whisper in the wind, clear vision returned to his eyes which he narrowed in disbelief. Were all the legends about the lake true? Since mermaids were, evidently, real, the story about another world at the bottom of the lake might as well be factual. He sighed a heavy sigh and felt the box loosen its grip on him. It wanted to be thrown in the middle of the lake... but there was no way Matty would be able to pitch it and reach the desired velocity. Theo would have to do it. He handed him the box and said, in a firm tone of voice,

"Throw it in the lake. Aim for the middle. Time to get wet again," he wasn't amused in the least to part with it, but it was the will of the box. "There's no barrier. The legend says the lake has no bottom. Just another surface. I'm guessing that's where we're headed."

[Midori-Hime]

"Just perfect..." He grumbled darkly at the mention of another witch. But then he had already known that this thing had witchcraft written all over it, so it really didn't come as too much of a surprise. Theo was just hoping he had been mistaken. He instead began to focus on the imagine of the castle in the lake's reflection, looking between the imagine and the mountainside as if trying to gauge a more exact location of where the castle might be.

It was then that Mathian's exclaimation startled him. "W-what? What is it?" The warlock had his full attention suddenly. He was only met with silence however, and Mathian's sigh only made him more anxious. "Oh my God, what?" He asked again, this time sounding a little agitated.

There werewolf then stared in disbelief as Mathian placed the box in his hands. "W-what?!" He then looked to the warlock, utterly confused. He'd almost killed someone over this Goddamn box and now he was asking Theo to throw it into the lake? But he could also see how much Mathian still longed for this box. "Are you gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?" He snapped then, hating the idea of being left out of the loop. Though as Mathian finally explained what he had in mind, Theo only seemed more confused. With a heavy, exasperated sigh, Theo started trudging back down the hill into the trees.

"Well, come on... I'm a werewolf, not a missile launcher." It didn't take long to retrace their steps and reach the shore of the lake once again. He stopped at the shore, gripping the box in his hands. "Are you sure this is going to work?" He asked. Though he supposed Mathian couldn't promise him anything any more than he could. "Alright then, here goes nothing..." Theo said, gripping the box in one hand and taking a few jogging steps into the water before he launched the box at the center of the lake. He'd be lying if he said he didn't revel in the feeling of tossing that thing into the water.

The box arched in the air and then plopped into the water with a splash, as close to the center of the lake as Theo could manage. And then all was still... Theo frowned, looking to Mathian then. Though before he could speak, the wind began to whip around them, stealing his voice. The surface of the lake began to swirl wildly, creating a whirlpool at it's center. "Now what do we do?" He shouted at the warlock over the wind.